Notre Dame vs. Florida State: Entering an Unfamiliar Week with High Stakes

Notre Dame and Florida State begin an unfamiliar week as they prepare for a high-stakes showdown.

Nov 2, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tarheels running back Omarian Hampton (28) runs a shovel pass for a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles during the fourth quarter at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Myers-Imagn Images / Robert Myers-Imagn Images

This normally heated & hated rivalry feels odd this time around

Notre Dame is 7-1 and riding a six-game winning streak coming out of an off week preparing to face FSU in South Bend this Saturday. On the flipside, the Seminoles are a repulsive and quite unbelievable 1-8 fresh off the heels of an ugly 35-11 loss at the hands of now 5-4 North Carolina.

These are wild times in Tallahassee. FSU went from 13-0 and complaining about being left out of the CFP last year, to being one of the worst teams in America with a 1-8 record just one year later. FSU is reeling. It has nothing but questions and no good answers to them.

The Seminole's drop from title contender to national weekly laughingstock from one season to the next has undoubtedly changed the way the upcoming game in South Bend between the 2 is being viewed.

The only team to not score 21 points this season.

Florida State University pic.twitter.com/m55ief3gCA

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) November 2, 2024

Notre Dame can't be the team that allows FSU to win again

Looking at this game on the calendar before the season, it was thought that this game in early November would and could likely have playoff implications for both teams jockeying for position late in the year where losses can be fatal. As it turns out, the home team is the only one with anything to play for on a national level Nov. 9th.

I have doubts as to just how motivated a 1-8 FSU team will be to come to South Bend, at night, in November and play an Irish team trending up and that is in the middle of a playoff chase. This FSU team is down, the Irish need to put them out. Notre Dame under no circumstances, can afford to give the Seminoles hope in this game.

There's a unique kind of pressure that comes with playing a team with as bad of a record as FSU has. Nobody wants to be the next team to let a team this bad win against at their expense. I expect the Irish defense to respond by smothering FSU further into oblivion in a fast start to Notre Dame's November march to the postseason.

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

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